The Sasquatch Guide to Summertime Stinky Feet (June 2011)

If you're a Sasquatch like me, then you probably experience the jubilation for the return of warm weather with a slight overcast of dread: warm weather means stinky-ass feet and countless episodes of foot-shame.

Over the years I've learned a few tricks that I think are valuable enough to share...

1. Ventilation! No, not rolling down the car windows or leaving your shoes outside. SANDALS. If you are just a junior Sasquatch, this might solve most of your issues straight off the bat. But if you're a full-bore stinker read on...

2. Not just any sandals will do. Suede, microfiber, and fabric in general are not your friend. What works for me are sandals that you can wear in & out of water. Teva, Columbia, Keen, Chacos, Crocs, whatever makes you happy so long as they have an impermeable footbed.

These are SO much easier to keep clean!! I'm a daily sandal wearer in summer and my Birkenstock years were my stinkiest (the unshaven pits weren't helping I suppose). The water sandals only need to be washed once or twice a week, and if you keep them clean your feet will be almost stink-free.

There are all kinds of sandal soaps out there but save your money--they're expensive, have awkward-to-use bottles, and don't even work. I've heard of people using bleach water solutions, but I'd pass on that since it'll damage the shoes and it won't remove grime. The shoe guy at the Roseville REI uses laundry detergent and puts his sandals in the machine on delicate, but he must not be as much of a Sasquatch as he looks because this method didn't work for me at all.

What finally worked for me?? DAWN ANTI-BACTERIAL DISH SOAP. No kiddin. Get yourself a long handled, soft-bristle dish washing brush and scrub up your sandals with dish soap. The soap breaks down the yucky foot grime, the brush gets into all the little textures without damaging the materials, and the anti-bacterial will keep away the stinky longer.

3. If you feel compelled to wear regular shoes without socks though you be a stink-foot, then only buy shoes with removable insoles. This is so you can pull them out & wash them. The best ones are inside of running shoes so I keep them after the shoes wear out. I've found a lot of shoes have foam rubber insoles glued to the bottom of the shoe and are easy enough to pluck out without wrecking anything. Wash these in the laundry after each time you wear them like you would your underwear. Which is why I say to keep spare pairs from old sneakers.

I hope this moment of sharing TMI helps prevent some other poor Sasquatches out there from feeling the humiliation that comes with smelly feet! Go forth and walk with confidence!!